Having a laugh at racism
Mr Nguyen Throws a Party
The Surf 'n' Theatre Company
Bondi Pavilion Theatre
Weekdays 11am and weekends 11am and 3pm until March 21
Tickets $6 to $12
Bookings (02) 9365 1796.
Review by Brendan Doyle
What does a "true blue Aussie bloke" (with views that would do Pauline Hanson proud) do when he takes his kids to his favourite camping spot, only to discover that it's been taken by an Asian?
"First they take our jobs — and now they're taking my camping spot!", reckons Bill Wallace, in this very funny piece of theatre aimed at young people.
Bill and his kids are confronted with a Vietnamese father, Mr Nguyen, and his son, who had the same idea for the weekend. The camping trip rapidly turns into a fierce territorial dispute, with plenty of potential for violence. Especially when Bill comes back from the pub and crawls into the wrong tent.
But nothing is black and white in this very human tale of ignorance and bigotry. Mr Nguyen's son Long tells Susan, "We don't like Chinese either", and doesn't hesitate to exploit a young Chinese girl who is the camp cleaner.
And whereas Bill is openly and loudly racist, the manager of the camp ground is much sneakier: he charges Mr Nguyen double the fee he charges Bill for a camp site. This is what finally gets up Bill's nose, and he joins forces with Mr Nguyen to get the money back. Mr Nguyen throws a party to celebrate. What could have ended in tragedy turns out well.
The story is told with a lot of comedy, even slapstick, which the school audience relished. Performances are good all round. Dien-Thanh, who plays Mr Nguyen, was a professional actor in Vietnam before coming here as a refugee. His acting shows an acute awareness of discrimination, but he is also the funniest of all the characters.
Director Nadine Helmi says: "It seemed that Australian society had reached a consensus on the question of multiculturalism. All that has changed." Hence the need for plays like this.
The Surf 'n' Theatre Company aims to bring burning social issues to young people through theatre. Its next production will be about youth suicide, but again, according to Helmi, without preachiness or gloom and doom. The current production can be enjoyed, as she says, by people from six to 96. I recommend it to anyone who likes a very funny play about a deadly serious issue.